TO EVERYTHING Unbalanced part 3
by laynee
Summary: continued from part 2 'True Self' Dean and Bobby join up with Ruby to find Sam and bring him back...if they can. Even they might have to ask for help, in a young girl that Dean has promised to protect as well. Determined/focused Dean; Snarky Ruby; Bobby.
1. Reinforcements

This is part 3 in the 'To Everything' series.

It's my idea of what happens to Sam as he turns demonic and becomes what everyone has been waiting for. Sure to be full of limp/angsty/hurt/evil Sam and worried/hurt/protective/awesome Dean. Bobby's there to as reinforcements as the battle of evil and the fight against it comes to fruition.

**NOTE****:** I haven't been watching the show (gasp and shock) so if I get anything wrong, that's why. I'm getting info from wikipedia, other fanfic I read and episode guides online. Also, I'm going to ignore some things because I don't know enough about the events to get it right. So I'll allude to Dean's death...but nothing definitive and I'm going to ignore angels. I also might accidentally add someone that has been killed, because I didn't know they were dead. As for season, obviously later, like after the current one or something. Yeah, I guess it's kinda alternate verse or whatnot.

Still don't own Supernatural. Not suing would be appreciated. I have no money, I promise, so please just let me use the brilliant characters.

Sorry this is taking so long. I know where it ends, it's just taking longer than expected to get there.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. The reviews keep me going, seriously.

-/\-SN-/\-

Dean and Bobby were hunched over open books and folded newspapers that were spread out over a back table in the library. Dean had a notebook full of potential leads, news articles that seemed like something; and all of them were dead ends. Sam was still somewhere out there. Dean had taken to checking his phone nearly every hour for a new message from Sam, but there never was. He hadn't heard anything but Sam's voicemail message in one month and two days, but who was counting.

Bobby looked up. "Still don't trust her." His voice was low.

"Well I do." He shot Bobby a hard look. "And we need her."

"She's one of them."

"Singer, I'm your last hope if you want to find Sam." Ruby came up from between a row of shelves and sat down.

"Anything?" Dean met her eyes.

She shook her head, confidence knocked down a few notches. "You?"

He shoved her the open page of the notebook. She looked over it and sighed.

"Anything worth following?" Dean knew better than to be hopeful any more.

"I'll ask around. Meet me at the fountain at the center of the park. Midnight." She tucked the notebook under her arm and left.

Bobby waited a few minutes after she was gone. "Still don't trust her."

"Sam did when I was gone and we both did before that. She's gotten us closer in the past few weeks than we managed to do in months. If you have a problem with the plan, then you can go your own way." Dean stood. "I won't let anything slow me down."

Dean left the table. Bobby was quick to follow. "Dean."

He slowed, but didn't stop.

"That's the last you'll hear of it. I'm with you, both of you, to find him."

He turned then. "Good to hear it. I have a lead I want to follow."

Dean and Bobby set off down the street. Bobby had watched him change over the months, had watched him focus so hard that there was nothing but newspapers, leads and the information Ruby brought. He did nothing but eat and sleep, aside from looking for his brother. He walked into jobs and questioned leads with a brutal directness that could get him killed sooner rather than later if he didn't start being more careful. Bobby didn't want to be the one to lecture him, not when they both knew Dean had nothing to loose if he had already lost Sam. Dean checked his phone for a message that was never there and slipped it back in his pocket. Bobby wondered, yet again, where Sam was that he couldn't call. Didn't he know what it was doing to Dean?

Sometimes, in the middle of the darkest and longest nights, Dean would lay awake and wonder if Sam was even still alive, or if he would recognize his own brother. He knew Damas most likely had him, but both Sam and Damas had disappeared from the radar. Not even Ruby knew where they were, but she knew something big was coming and could venture a pretty safe guess that Sam was the guest of honor.

They walked down a heavily shaded and neglected street. Dean's eyes scanned the peeling paint and house numbers. Dean stopped in front of a small, once white house. The paint had grayed and cracked, the front porch sagged in the middle and the sidewalk cracked. Without hesitating, Dean walked up to the front door. Bobby held back a few steps, both to keep watch and to give Dean space.

The door opened a fraction of a second before Dean knocked. The woman that looked at Dean was young, fifteen maybe, her dark hair fell in front of her jade green eyes. She smiled wearily.

"Cadence?" He met her eyes.

"I don't know if I can help you."

He nodded. "It's worth a shot."

"It is." She pushed open the door and disappeared inside.

Dean followed her without a word. Bobby hesitated in the doorway before he closed the door behind him. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the low light inside. Dean followed her to the kitchen and sat across the table from her. Bobby leaned against the wall a few feet back.

Cadence took a slow breath. "I can't reach him."

"He's alive."

She nodded. "They want him alive."

Dean sighed. "Where is he?"

She closed her eyes and pressed her hands flat against the table. She was special, like Sam. Ruby had found her, saved her about a year back and told Dean that she might be able to help. Cadence could find just about anyone in a few hours, but she could find people like herself and Sam in minutes.

She opened her eyes and looked at Dean, like she was looking through him. "I don't know. They've changed him and took away his humanity."

Dean's blood ran cold at the words.

"They want a meeting between you two, a test for Sam." Her eyes darkened a little. "He's going to kill you."

"He wouldn't." It was an automatic response.

She took his hand. "He would because everything he was is gone."

"Can he be saved?" Dean's voice grew soft.

"It's unknown, there are too many options."

"But that is one of them."

She sighed. "Yes."

Cadence tensed like she suddenly felt pain. Her hand tightened around Dean's and he leaned forward.

"Cadence?"

Her eyes were closed tight. "They want me, because they could change him and they want me next."

When she opened her eyes there was nothing but fear.

"Bobby, call Ruby." Dean met her eyes. "They won't get you. I won't let them."

"I know you won't." She knew his thoughts. "You did protect him, Dean. You're the reason why there is still the chance that he'll come back."

"Go pack a bag."

She got up from the table and slipped from the room. Dean pulled out his phone and dialed. He listened to the ringing and swore that he would do something right. He couldn't save Sam, not yet, but he could save Cadence now.

"Hello?" Pastor Jim's voice came through a little static.

"It's Dean." He kept one ear out to make sure Cadence was all right.

"Any news?"

He swallowed. "Not exactly. I need to ask a favor."

"Anything." The answer was automatic.

"I need you to protect someone for me." He heard Cadence on the stairs. "Until this is over."

"Of course. Where are you?"

She held a duffel bag at her side and stood close to Dean. "About two hours. There's a diner at the edge of town. Meet us there?"

"See you soon."

Dean slipped the phone in his pocket.

"I could go with you, help you." Cadence whispered.

"You can help me over the phone." He took the bag. "But this is the only way you'll be safe."

Cadence knew that as she followed him out to the car. "Dean." She whispered. "You'll get him back."

"You know this?"

She swallowed. "Only because I know that you won't stop until you do. He has more humanity that they realize and you're the key to that."

"Will it be enough?"

She nodded slightly, not entirely sure, and climbed into the back of the car. They were quiet as they drove to the diner, quiet as they ate dinner. They met Jim in the parking lot.

"Jim, this is Cadence." Dean introduced them. "She's been helping us some and now it's gotten her unwanted attention."

Cadence looked at him, a sweet smile on her lips. "My pleasure to meet you."

"And you also." Jim looked over at Dean. "Any word?"

Dean shook his head. "Keep her safe."

"I will." Jim shook hands with Dean.

Dean and Bobby watched them drive off before they climbed into the Impala. There were a few hours before they had to meet Ruby, a few more hours of research. They went back to the library until it closed.

A few hours before midnight, Dean and Bobby climbed behind the wheel and drove towards the park. They pulled up in an empty space and sat in the silence for a few minutes. Dean got out of the car and walked towards the fountain. He sat down on a nearby bench with his elbows rested on his knees. Bobby sat down next to him to wait.

It seemed wrong, Dean mused in the darkness, to be just sitting and doing nothing while his brother, the one thing that he had left and the one thing he gives everything for, is gone. Sitting seemed a lot like doing nothing, and Dean hated doing nothing especially when it involved Sam.


	2. The Cost

This is part 3 in the 'To Everything' series.

It's my idea of what happens to Sam as he turns demonic and becomes what everyone has been waiting for. Sure to be full of limp/angsty/hurt/evil Sam and worried/hurt/protective/awesome Dean. Bobby's there to as reinforcements as the battle of evil and the fight against it comes to fruition.

**NOTE****:** I haven't been watching the show (gasp and shock) so if I get anything wrong, that's why. I'm getting info from wikipedia, other fanfic I read and episode guides online. Also, I'm going to ignore some things because I don't know enough about the events to get it right. So I'll allude to Dean's death...but nothing definitive and I'm going to ignore angels. I also might accidentally add someone that has been killed, because I didn't know they were dead. As for season, obviously later, like after the current one or something. Yeah, I guess it's kinda alternate verse or whatnot.

Still don't own Supernatural. Not suing would be appreciated. I have no money, I promise, so please just let me use the brilliant characters.

Sorry this is taking so long. I know where it ends, it's just taking longer than expected to get there – and I'm working on like a million other things and my focus is out the window for some reason. Sorry. I promise I will finish it though.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. The reviews keep me going, seriously.

-/\-SN-/\-

Dean looked down at the glowing dials of his watch again. Ruby was twenty seven minutes late and that worried him. Bobby sighed and folded his arms across his chest. Dean glanced over at him, but didn't say anything.

"We should call her." Bobby muttered.

"You'll incur her wrath if you do." He tried to joke because it's what he always did when there was nothing else he could do. "She'll be here."

"Just makes me nervous."

Dean let it go. He stood and paced a small lap in front of the fountain. His nerves were coiled tight and he wasn't waiting well. She was over a half hour late and that could only mean a few things, none of them were good. He caught Bobby's eyes on his way past, but he wasn't giving up any information.

There was the sound of something ricocheting off one of the trashcans. Dean turned to the sound, his hand on the handle of his gun. Bobby was on his feet just as fast. Ruby stepped from the shadows and Dean caught her just as he was aiming for the ground. He knelt down with her.

"Bobby, keep watch." He almost glanced up at him. "Ruby, what happened?"

She looked like she had been jumped. Her shirt was mussed. A bruise had started to shadow under her eye and her lip was swollen and still bleeding a little. She closed her eyes like she was in pain or trying to pull everything back together. Dean gave her the few moments she needed. He shifted her so she leaned against the fountain and then knelt at her side.

"Anything need stitches?"

She shook her head slightly.

"Anything broken?"

Ruby opened her eyes. "Let them think they kicked your ass more than they actually did."

"Well I'm not the one who needs to be convinced. What the hell happened?"

She pushed herself off the ground and away from Dean. Her usual composure and attitude was back as she straightened her shirt and hair. She carefully wiped some of the blood away from her lip with her finger.

"As fun as this midnight gathering is." Bobby glanced over at Dean and Ruby. "I think we should move this somewhere safer."

"Singer might have a point." Ruby shrugged.

The three walked to the Impala as quickly as they could without actually running. They drove back to the motel room. Salting the doors and windows took minutes with the three of them. Ruby muttered a few spells under her breath before she sat on the edge of the bed. Dean wet a washcloth and tossed it to her.

Dean sat across from her with his elbows rested on his knees. Bobby took a chair a few feet behind Dean. Bobby knew that his help was appreciated, but this was about Sam and he was a little out of the loop.

"What'd you learn?"

Ruby met his eyes. Whatever she was about to say, it wasn't good news. "Well, our little demon king is being trained by Damas. Which we guessed, but that's now confirmed. Damas is tough and thorough. The fact that Sam's still alive is helpful, but not particularly good. The longer he's alive the more he's corrupted and turned."

"He'll fight it." Dean stated like it was set-in-stone fact.

"When's the last time he called, Dean?" It was a low blow, but she was right. "Yeah, some part of him is probably fighting, but that part isn't winning right now."

His eyes were hard. "But it's still there."

She sighed wiped a little more blood away. "Yeah. That's actually something they were worried about. They thought he was too human, too inherently good. We can use that to our favor. I don't think anyone knows exactly who he will be when all of this fall into place."

"Where is he?"

"A warehouse, about a days drive from here, but apparently he's completed his training and he's moved. A final test, they called it." She stopped and looked away from Dean's eyes.

He spoke just above a whisper. "What was the test?"

She looked up again. "There were these kids, chosen like Sam was, but chosen by the other side. To use a bad 90's television reference, they were _Touched By An Angel_. He had to kill them."

"He wouldn't."

"He did. Damas confirmed it, he said Sam didn't even blink. They're on the move again."

Dean sat back a little. He swallowed and his eyes were far away as he was thinking about something.

He came back after a moment. "Then we better go confirm it." There was no other option.

Ruby nodded. "I know where the house is, already have the route planned." She reached forward and touched Dean's knee. "I hope they were wrong. Dean, if he's done all the things they're saying he has, I don't know how much there will be to save."

"Still gonna try."

"Well yeah, I just don't know who we'll get back." She took her hand from his knee.

He looked at her like he was seeing the injuries for the first time again. "So, what'd they do to you?"

She smiled grimly. "I owe a few more favors, have a few more years added on. I had to get their trust before I could learn anything. The phrase 'sold my soul' comes to mind, even though it's not possible." She shrugged. "It was worth it. I'm going to go clean up."

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. There was silence in the room, heavy and thick, until the shower started. Dean stood and went over to his bag. He pulled out a tee shirt and a pair of cotton pants that never would have fit Sam or Dean. He knocked on the bathroom door, opened it a crack and tossed them onto the counter. He returned to the edge of the bed and pondered the carpet.

Without looking up from the horrible blue carpet, Dean spoke. "We'll get him back, whatever is left, and it will be enough."

"I know." Bobby could think of at least seventeen things that would most likely go wrong with this plan, he knew Dean thought of them and about a million more.

"What do you think of her now?" His voice was low.

"Never thought you to be one who took much stock in what others thought."

Dean looked over. "Well?"

"I figure she cares about that boy much as we do."

Dean nodded and turned back to the carpet. "Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

"Always were, you just might have been a few paragraphs ahead of me. Guess I'm slow."

He managed a weak smile, which is what Bobby was aiming for. The shower stopped and silence took the room again. Ruby emerged a few minutes later in the clothes that Dean set out for her and ones she had been wearing in her arms. Her hair was wet and hung in pieces around her face. She folded her clothes on the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed. A few bruises were wrapped around her wrists and a thin knife wound ran up the inside of her arm. She looked exhausted and Dean knew she hadn't told them everything.

"Need me to bandage that?" Dean glanced over.

"Nope."

He sighed. "We should head out early tomorrow."

She nodded as Bobby pulled off his boots and belt. Ruby shoved some of the blankets off of her bed and slipped between the sheets. Dean grabbed a pillow and blanket from the bed, kicked off his own boots and stretched out on the floor. Before Bobby could say anything, Dean reached up and turned off the light.

Ruby's sarcasm broke the few moments of black silence. "Winchester, get your ass up here. I need you in top form tomorrow."

"I'm fine here."

"I can and will kick your ass, Winchester."

Dean sighed and tossed the pillow on the bed. He stretched out, a good six inches away from Ruby.

He took a breath. "Get any closer and I'll break your arm seven times before you even wake up."

"Same to you." She replied with a smirk. "Hey, Singer. One word of this, ever, and I can bet Winchester here will help me kick your ass."

"You're my friend, Bobby, but she's right."

Bobby sighed. "Didn't see or hear a thing."

Dean looked up at the ceiling in the dark. He wondered, like every night, where Sam was. At least he knew that his brother was still alive, that there was still something to be saved.

"Dean." Ruby's voice was so quiet that he hardly caught it. "We'll get him. Get some sleep, none of this will be easy."

He closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep, something that he didn't do too often. They had a plan; a patched together and sure to fail twenty times over plan, but it was something. It was enough.


	3. Retracing

This is part 3 in the 'To Everything' series.

It's my idea of what happens to Sam as he turns demonic and becomes what everyone has been waiting for. Sure to be full of limp/angsty/hurt/evil Sam and worried/hurt/protective/awesome Dean. Bobby's there to as reinforcements as the battle of evil and the fight against it comes to fruition.

**NOTE****:** I haven't been watching the show (gasp and shock) so if I get anything wrong, that's why. I'm getting info from wikipedia, other fanfic I read and episode guides online. Also, I'm going to ignore some things because I don't know enough about the events to get it right. So I'll allude to Dean's death...but nothing definitive and I'm going to ignore angels. I also might accidentally add someone that has been killed, because I didn't know they were dead. As for season, obviously later, like after the current one or something. Yeah, I guess it's kinda alternate verse or whatnot.

Still don't own Supernatural. Not suing would be appreciated. I have no money, I promise, so please just let me use the brilliant characters.

My life got crazy busy, so yeah. Sorry this is taking so long. I promise I will finish it though.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. The reviews keep me going, seriously.

-/\-SN-/\-

The day was overcast and gray, cold and windy.

When the drive wasn't in complete silence, they were going over what information they had on Sam. They read over newspaper clippings and Ruby said all she learned. It became a mantra that ate away the miles and the hours. Dean was focused, his hands clenched and unclenched in his lap and his jaw was set hard. He carefully took apart and cleaned three different handguns before he loaded each one with silver. Ruby watched silently, she hadn't seen him like this.

He met her eyes. "Get in my way, and I'll shoot you as easy as anything else."

She knew better than to argue when his eyes were icy flame like that.

An hour before dark, the car pulled to the edge of a driveway that lead to a perfect farmhouse. Dean, Bobby and Ruby climbed out of the car and looked at the lit windows in the dusk.

Another car pulled up. Dean and Bobby automatically reached for their guns. Pastor Jim and Cadence stepped from the car.

Dean went to her. "What are you doing?"

"You need my help. Those children can't tell you what happened, not all of it anyway. I need to read them, if you really want to know." Her eyes flicked over to Ruby. "Even she can't do that."

"Yeah, but Damas won't kill me on sight." Ruby snapped.

Cadence's eyes flashed. "Well played."

"Wait." Dean took Cadence by the shoulders. "The kids are alive?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Dean turned to the house. The front door opened and two small figures were silhouetted in the doorway. Dean hadn't realized that he was holding a breath and hadn't realized that there was a part of him that did believe that Sam had killed the kids.

Cadence took his hand and whispered. "It was only a thought because it was all you knew."

"But I know my brother, that shouldn't change anything." His voice was low.

"The situation has changed. It's human to trust, Dean, and that's what Sam needs." She took a step forward. "We need to talk to them."

"This isn't safe for you."

"I have about an hour." She met his eyes for a moment before she glanced back at pastor Jim. "Trust me."

Dean couldn't waste any more time, it was as though he could hear the seconds ticking away. He and Cadence walked towards the house. Lil and Jake stepped out onto the porch. They stood hand in hand, eyes wide and not as innocent as they should have been. Dean had seen that look in Sam's eyes when they were young and he wished he didn't know what it meant.

Cadence smiled at them. "Jake. Lil."

"You've been looking." Jake said quietly.

Lil swallowed. "For us."

"I won't hurt you." Dean sat on the steps of the porch like there was nothing wrong in the world.

Lil stepped forward and met Dean's eyes. "He was your brother."

"Was?"

Jake's eyes flashed with fear for a moment. "Before the bad man."

Dean nodded. "He still is my brother. I need you both to tell me what happened."

Lil took a step back, it was obvious she didn't want to think about what happened. Jake didn't look much more confident. Cadence went to her and knelt in front of the girl. Jake automatically went to his sister's side.

"You don't have to do anything." Cadence smiled at me. "And my good friend, Dean here will make sure that nothing bad happens. All you have to do is close your eyes."

Lil and Jake automatically obeyed. They sat still and silent with their eyes closed. Cadence placed her hand in each of theirs.

"Dean." She glanced over. "Take their hands."

Dean held Lil and Jake's small hands in his and couldn't help the memory of when Sam's hand was that size. It was only a few minutes before Cadence let go of their hands and they opened their eyes.

"Did you see?" She asked without looking at Dean.

"Yes." He suddenly had the memories of what Sam had done, or didn't do.

He saw the brief moment when Sam came back to who he was, the moment that saved the children. He saw his kid brother slip back into the darkness, saw Sam embrace the evil with a smile. It made Dean's blood run cold and he almost wondered if he could save Sam.

"Will they look for us?" Jake asked after a few minutes.

Cadence met his fear wide eyes. "Not if you pretend to be dead. No magic, nothing special until you both are old enough to understand."

Lil and Jake nodded. They glanced over at Dean. "You'll save him." They said in unison. "Cadence showed us."

Dean looked over at her, but she wasn't revealing anything. He turned back to the kids. "Go on inside, forget everything about tonight." He ruffled their hair as they passed.

Dean and Cadence walked back to the cars where Ruby, Jim and Bobby were waiting. The group was an unlikely army, but if any group of people could bring Sam back, it was that one. Dean paused with his hand on the hood of the Impala.

He looked over at Cadence. "You and Jim should go back."

"No." Her eyes were hard with determination. "I need to know."

He didn't ask what she needed to learn, he knew. She needed to know what she was up against, what was waiting for her down the line if it should come to that. She needed to know that it was possible to fight against the darkness and win. Dean needed to see that as well, almost as much as he needed so see his brother again, even if Sam wasn't who he had always been.

"Okay." Dean looked at the group. "Let's get him back."

Ruby grabbed his arm as he started for the car. "He's set to kill you, Dean." Her voice was almost lost in the cold wind. "That's his last test."

"As long as he's breathing, then I'll be fighting to get him back." He paused. "Either we're both okay, or I'm dead."

"I'd hate for you to die." Ruby tried for sarcasm.

"Me too." He looked to Jim. "If this gets too dangerous, take Cadence and run and I'm not asking."

Cadence stepped up. "I can take care of myself."

Dean took her shoulders. "Not as long as I'm here. You'll run if I say run." He let her go. "We're wasting time, let's move."

Ruby, Bobby and Dean took the Impala, Jim and Cadence followed behind. Dean was silent as he drove towards the setting sun, he was focused on what was to come. As much as he knew that Sam wasn't his little brother any more, he couldn't help but still think that Sammy would be there.

He looked up in the mirror at Ruby. "Where is he now?" He knew the general direction, but no specifics.

"Cemetery, three hours from here. That's where the battle will be." She was grim. "I don't think the others will step in. This is something Sam has to do."

Dean nodded. "I know my brother, even now, and he isn't who they think he is."

Ruby turned to the dark outside the window. "I hope so." She whispered so quietly that Dean almost didn't hear her.

He set his jaw and went a little faster.


	4. Battle Lines

This is part 3 in the 'To Everything' series.

It's my idea of what happens to Sam as he turns demonic and becomes what everyone has been waiting for. Sure to be full of limp/angsty/hurt/evil Sam and worried/hurt/protective/awesome Dean. Bobby's there to as reinforcements as the battle of evil and the fight against it comes to fruition.

**NOTE****:** I haven't been watching the show (gasp and shock) so if I get anything wrong, that's why. I'm getting info from wikipedia, other fanfic I read and episode guides online. Also, I'm going to ignore some things because I don't know enough about the events to get it right. So I'll allude to Dean's death...but nothing definitive and I'm going to ignore angels. I also might accidentally add someone that has been killed, because I didn't know they were dead. As for season, obviously later, like after the current one or something. Yeah, I guess it's kinda alternate verse or whatnot.

Still don't own Supernatural. Not suing would be appreciated. I have no money, I promise, so please just let me use the brilliant characters.

My life got crazy busy, so yeah. Sorry this is taking so long. I promise I will finish it though.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. The reviews keep me going, seriously.

-/\-SN-/\-

They stopped just outside of the old iron gates. The cemetery had been abandoned years before, the old stone church still sat in the corner of the property. It's once beautiful windows were darkened by grime and dust and the stone was as gray as dead flesh. Dean got out of the car and glanced back at Jim and Cadence in the other car. She was pale with fear.

He walked over to her window. "Jim, cover this car in protection and park it back by the road, but still in sight. I don't want them getting her." He turned to Cadence. "You will stay in this car. Understand me?"

She nodded. "I can help."

"You're the line of defense. I don't want to see you out there unless we're all dead, or damn close. Got it?"

"Yes." She leaned back in the seat.

"Good." Dean winked at her.

Jim climbed out of the car and began to draw protections on the car. Dean watched for a second before he walked back towards Bobby and Ruby. They were arming themselves with what they could find in the trunk, which was well stocked as usual. Dean loaded his gun with silver and tucked it in the waistband of his jeans.

"Anything yet?" He glanced over at Ruby.

"No. Consider this the calm."

Dean looked over his shoulder at the road. "Will it just be Sam, or will his new friends be helping?"

Ruby met Dean's eyes. "That's up to Sam. For our sake, I hope it's just him. That will be bad enough."

There was a flash of fear in her eyes so brief that Dean wondered if it was there at all. He hoped that he was imagining things and turned back to the trunk. It was overcast, darker than it should be, and it fit the mood of the upcoming events of the day. Dean repressed a shiver that ran up his spine and slipped a flask of holy water into his pocket. He took a breath and pushed away all the memories of that he had of Sammy. He focused on only being a hunter, it was the only way to save Sam.

Dean slammed the trunk closed and leaned against it with his palms pressed against the cold metal. Bobby and Ruby stood nearby. They were tense, muscles tight and nerves stretched. Jim came over with his battered bible and rosary in one hand. He met Dean's eyes with a grim determination.

Dean walked over to the car where Cadence waited. She rolled down her window as he grew closer. They didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Can I save him?" Dean said so quietly that Cadence wondered if she was meant to hear.

"Too many unknowns." She met his eyes. "But if he can be saved, then it will be by your hands."

"Thanks."

She reached through the open window and rested her hand on his. Dean let the moment stay before he turned back to the cemetery. Cadence rolled up her window and watched him walk away. He walked back to Bobby, Jim and Ruby to wait.

They didn't have long.

A sleek car pulled up the dirt road and stopped in the shadows. Sam and Damas got out, dark light shined from their eyes. Dean noticed how Sam had slimmed down to nothing but compact muscle. An icy smile appeared on Sam's face as he saw his brother for the first time in months.

"Dean." Sam's voice was as cold as his smile.

Dean swallowed and straightened. "Sam." His eyes flicked to Damas.

"Have your army stand down and I'll have mine do the same." Sam continued towards his brother.

"Fine." Dean took a step forward.

Sam gestured towards the cemetery like he was ushering someone into a beautiful room. "After you, big brother."

Dean wasn't afraid, he could see fear in Bobby and Jim's eyes as he passed them, but he wasn't afraid at all. Ruby and Sam stared each other down as they passed, seeing in the other what they could be. Sam and Dean walked into the cemetery and stood among the cracked and decaying headstones. The tall grass tangled around their boots. They stood a few feet away from each other.

"Where've you been, Sam?" Dean was trying to gage how much of the Sam he remembered was still in there.

"Learning all manner of dark things." He paused. "I could kill you now without moving a muscle."

"Why haven't you, then?"

Something flickered for a second in Sam's eyes. "Because I want to see you fight, I want your last moments to be fighting for me. You'll die, of course, and I will enjoy watching."

"My life for yours? That's easy." Dean's eyes were hard, determined.

He smiled, but it did nothing to reassure Dean that everything would end up all right. "What have you been up to? Though, I can probably guess."

"Looking for you."

He held his arms out. "Here I am. Not quite what you expected?"

"As long as you're alive."

Sam took a step forward. "But there are so many things that are worse than death. You know that as well as anyone."

"Yeah and losing you tops the list." His tone was hard despite the sentiment behind the words.

"Weakness." Sam spat. "I could kill you without moving an inch."

The comment was intended to chill Dean's blood in his veins, to hit him at his weaknesses and to distract him. Thing was, Dean had always been able to read Sam, even when his kid brother was a mere shadow of himself. Dean had mentally prepared himself for this conversation and fight for weeks. His blood didn't run cold and he wasn't distracted. He would save Sam, if it was the last thing he did.

Dean met his brother's eyes. "So why haven't you?"

Sam hesitated for a moment. "That would be no fun. I want to see you fight for your last breath."

He didn't miss the way his little brother hesitated, the way something familiar flickered in his dark eyes. The threat seemed almost empty.

Dean wasn't the only one that noticed. Damas took a step towards Sam. He looked back at the demon and his eyes flashed.

"No." Sam's voice was low, dangerous. "I said I don't need you."

"Samuel." Damas's tone was smooth. "Do as you wish."

"I know that already. You know, I don't think I need you at all." Sam snapped his fingers.

Pain flashed in Damas's eyes and he staggered back. Sam had locked his dark gaze on the man's struggling figure. A slight smile graced Sam's lips and the sight chilled Dean more effectively than the wind that had come up.

"You knew this day would come." Sam spoke as though it was a tremendous effort. "So don't look so surprised."

"Samuel." Damas choked out. "You're making enemies."

"I can handle it and that scares you."

Damas collapsed to the ground. His breath seemed to catch in his lungs and then he was still. Sam wavered for a moment and almost fell himself. He turned back to Dean.

"Sorry about the delay." A thin line of blood dripped from Sam's nose. "Oh, and your friends will stay where they are. Unless they want to meet the same end."

"Understood." Dean wanted to glance back at them, but he didn't.

Sam closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Dean watched all of this and was silently separating what he knew to be his kid brother and what was different. His hand tightened around the flask of holy water in his pocket and he wondered if it would do anything at all. He didn't know how to fight this, Sam wasn't possessed, this was Sam now. The prophecies had been fulfilled and Hell's son had come into his proper place.

Dean would drag him back if he had to.

Finally, Sam opened his eyes. "Where were we?"

Dean met his brother's eyes. "You were telling me why you hadn't killed me yet."

---

NOTE: Thanks for reading along with this experiment. I'm not sure how I felt about these past few chapters and first 3 parts of the story, but I think they needed to be written. The next parts will be quite full of injured Sam and Dean (yay!) and both brothers dealing with what happened. This won't be a death fic, so don't worry about that. Thanks again for reading.

P.S. I love reviews.


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